Recent advances in re-chargeable battery technology have led to the development and manufacture of a multitude of battery pack designs, having a variety of specific recharging and operating characteristics. With regard to recharging, the design and utilization of a specific recharger unit for each battery type certainly simplifies the design requirements of the recharging unit. However, as the number of battery types continues to grow, so does the consumer demand for recharging units that are capable of effectively and efficiently recharging multiple battery types, where each battery type may possess a different charging profile or characteristic. The first and most obvious concern that emerges from the fact that one electrical device may employ a number of different battery types is the need, at any one time, to identify information related to the specific battery being employed by the electrical device.
With particular regard to the cellular telephone industry, it is not uncommon for cellular telephones to incorporate or act as an integral component of a battery recharging system. It is also not uncommon for such cellular phones to be designed so as to operate with or accept a variety of different battery types. As such, there is need for these cellular phones to be capable of quickly and easily identifying the specific battery type that happens to be employed at any given time. Battery identification systems have been devised for electrical devices and cellular telephones in the past. For example, see the disclosures found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,237,257 and 5,164,652.
However, the need remains for a practical, reliable, and easily manufacturable battery identification system that can be readily employed in modern cellular telephones, battery recharging equipment, and other electrical devices.